Raiden (video game)

Last updated

Raiden
Raiden arcadeflyer.png
Japanese arcade flyer
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Producer(s) Hitoshi Hamada
Designer(s) Tetsuya Kawaguchi
Programmer(s) K. Kondo
S. Mori
Artist(s) H. Matsuo
Toshinobu Komazawa
T. Matsuzawa
Composer(s) Akira Sato
Series Raiden
Platform(s)
Release
April 1990
  • Arcade
    • WW: April 1990 [1]
    Mega Drive/Genesis
    • JP: 6 July 1991
    • NA: September 1991
    • BRA: July 1992
    TurboGrafx-16
    • JP: 22 November 1991
    • NA: 1991
    Super NES
    • JP: 29 November 1991
    • NA: April 1992
    FM Towns
    • JP: November 1991
    PC Engine Super CD-ROM²
    • JP: 2 April 1992
    Jaguar
    • NA: 23 November 1993
    • EU: June 1994
    • JP: 15 December 1994
    MS-DOS
    PlayStation
    • JP: 27 January 1995
    • NA: 9 September 1995
    • EU: November 1995
    Lynx
    PlayStation Network
    • JP: 29 March 2007
    Mobile
    • NA: 24 February 2004
    • WW: December 2012
    Windows
    • WW: 16 May 2013
Genre(s) Vertically scrolling shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, co-op
(not in all versions)

Raiden [lower-alpha 1] is a 1990 vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Seibu Kaihatsu and published by Tecmo in Japan. [2] The game's story takes place in the year 2090, when an alien species known as the Crystals invaded Earth. Players assume the roles of the Vanquish Crystal Defense pilot duo, taking control of two state of the art Fighting Thunders aircraft to defeat the Crystals and save the Earth.

Contents

The game was conceived after Dynamite Duke , Seibu Kaihatsu's prior title, failed to sell as well as expected. During development, the game was designed as a vertically scrolling shooter due to the popularity of the genre at the time. Cheaper arcade hardware had to be used due to financial constraints caused by Dynamite Duke's poor sales. [3] [4]

Although Seibu doubted Raiden's success, it managed to sell 17,000 arcade units worldwide, helping to recuperate the company's investments through word-of-mouth. The title became a critical success, with its most lauded features being the graphics, music, gameplay and co-operative play.

Due to the success of Raiden, several sequels and related games were made. Raiden was ported to home computers and various home video game consoles in the early to mid 1990s. The game was released as part of several compilations and through download services such as PlayStation Network. The ports received mixed to positive reception. [5]

Gameplay

Arcade version screenshot ARC Raiden.png
Arcade version screenshot

Raiden is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up game consisting of eight stages of increasing difficulty. In each stage, the player maneuvers the Fighting Thunder craft, engaging various enemies and avoiding their attacks. In cooperative play, both players can generate special projectiles that damage enemies by shooting the other player craft. After completing the eighth and final stage, the player returns to the first stage with the difficulty increased.

Collectible items include bombs, which cancel out enemy fire and deal damage over a wide area; weapon power-ups; and score-increasing medals. There are two bonus collectible items: the Miclus (a boss in Seibu Kaihatsu's 1985 title Wiz) and a fairy that releases power-up items when the player dies. When the player dies, the fighter's shrapnel become projectiles that damage enemies. If all lives are lost during a gameplay session, the game is over unless players insert more credits into the arcade machine to continue playing. Upon continuing, the player will start at the last checkpoint reached.

Plot

The story of Raiden takes place in the year 2090, when a species of alien lifeforms known as the Crystals invaded Earth. The Crystals took control over most of Earth's military hardware to use in the invasion. In response, the world organization known as Vanquish Crystal Defense (VCD) develops the Fighting Thunder attack craft, a cutting-edge weapon based on Crystal technology. To survive against the invaders and fight back, VCD deploys Fighting Thunder as the only hope for humanity.

Production

Development

According to graphic designer and current MOSS CEO Toshinobu Komazawa, the creation of Dynamite Duke gave Seibu Kaihatsu the opportunity to begin developing Raiden, as the former did not sell as well as Seibu had hoped. In order to recoup the costs of developing Dynamite Duke, the decision was made to develop a shoot 'em up instead of a sequel to it. [4] Komazawa noted that the development of Raiden had a negative outlook, but an earnest beginning, since the shoot 'em up genre was "relatively inexpensive to produce" games for, as well as increasing in popularity at the time. Due to financial constraints, the company opted to use arcade hardware less powerful than those used in their previous titles. Seibu could only afford to develop a shoot 'em up with their development budget, with the project becoming a financial decision, as they had no other choice of game to make. [4] Seibu took production notes from the overseas market, borrowing ideas from popular titles such as Capcom's 1942 , Xevious from Namco, and Twin Cobra by Toaplan.

The production of Raiden was led by Seibu Kaihatsu president Hitoshi Hamada, while Tetsuya Kawaguchi served as its designer and programmer K. Kondo and S. Mori were the other programmers. [2] [4] Komazawa, H. Matsuo, T. Matsuzawa and T. Wada were responsible for creating the in-game artwork. [2] [4] Y. Segawa was responsible for creating the arcade hardware. [2] Near the end of development, Komazawa praised the programmers at Seibu for being able to produce a high-quality game on less powerful hardware. [4]

Audio

The music for Raiden was composed by Akira Sato. [2] A Raiden/Raiden II soundtrack was published by INH Co., Ltd. It includes soundtracks from Raiden (Arcade, PlayStation), Raiden Densetsu (FM Towns), Raiden II (Arcade, PlayStation) and Raiden DX (Arcade) as well as other extras. [6]

Release and ports

Raiden was first released in the arcades in April 1990 by Tecmo in Japan. It was distributed in North America by Fabtek, Taiwan by Liang HWA Electronics, South Korea by IBL Corporation, and Hong Kong by Wah Yan Electronics. [2] The game was ported to various platforms, with each port featuring several changes and additions. In 2022, the arcade version will be included as part of the Sega Astro City Mini V, a vertically oriented variant of the Sega Astro City mini console. [7]

The PC Engine conversion was developed by A.I Company and first published by Hudson Soft in Japan on 22 November 1991, and released a few months later on the North American TurboGrafx-16 by NEC Technologies. It is a mostly faithful port of the arcade original. [3] [8] [9]

The Atari Jaguar version was developed by Imagitec Design, then released in North America in November 1993. [10] [11] The North America, Europe and Japan releases were distributed by Atari Corporation and Mumin Corporation in 1994 respectively. [12] [13] [14] It features various presentation and gameplay changes from the original arcade version. [3]

The MS-DOS port was coded by Nigel 'Freddy' Conroy, Steve Cullen and Martin Randall, and spearheaded by Martin Hooley at Imagitec. It shares the same visual design as the Jaguar conversion with the addition of a full-screen display. Its differences from the Jaguar port include support only for FM sound. It was released only in North America in 1994. [3]

A handheld version was developed by BlueSky Software and launched for the Atari Lynx across North America and Europe in 1997 by Telegames, long after the Lynx's commercial lifespan had ended. It was only available through direct order and a few select retailers. [15] [16] [17]

Raiden Trad and Raiden Densetsu

The FM Towns release was titled Raiden Densetsu ("Legend of Raiden") in Japan, while both the Mega Drive/Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System ports were given the name Raiden Trad across all regions ("Trad" being an abbreviation of tradition , an alternative meaning of densetsu ). Each version of Trad was developed and distributed by different developers and publishers. [3] A European release of the Mega Drive version was planned for release by UbiSoft as part of a multi-game licensing deal with Bignet, but was never officially released in the region. [18] [19]

Super Raiden

Super Raiden is a PC Engine Super CD-ROM² version of the TurboGrafx-16 HuCard port. Its main new feature is the use of Redbook CD Audio for an arranged soundtrack, along with additional stages exclusive to the CD version. [3] It was developed by A.I Company and released on 2 April 1992, in Japan by Hudson Soft. [8] [20]

The Raiden Project

See main article: The Raiden Project

Both the original Raiden and Raiden II were included as part of The Raiden Project compilation. The included games are based directly on the original arcade releases and offers several options not found in other ports. [3] The Project version of the first Raiden was re-released by HAMSTER Corporation as a stand-alone PlayStation title for their Arcade Hits series. It was later available as a digital download on the Japanese PlayStation Network store, playable on the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable. [21]

Re-releases

Raiden was first adapted on mobile phones by Com2uS in 2004. [22] The original game was later included as part of the 2012 compilation Raiden Legacy by DotEmu for mobile devices, PCs and other platforms. Raiden Legacy also includes the three games in the Raiden Fighters sub-series. In 2021, a Nintendo Switch version was released as part of the Arcade Archives series. [23]

Cancelled ports

An Amiga version was announced in late 1993 to be under development by Imagitec Design. It was intended to be published by U.S. Gold, but according to a former Imagitec employee on an Amiga-dedicated internet forum, it was left unreleased due to the arrival of newer systems on the market. [24] [25] [26] [27] Another version was made by Imagitec for the Atari Falcon, announced in 1994. [28] Early playable builds of both versions have since been leaked online. [29] [30]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScores
SMD/GEN TG-16 SNES PCE SCD-ROM² JAG DOS Lynx Mobile
GameRankings 50% [31] 57.50% [32] 60% [33] 72% [34]
Review scores
PublicationScores
SMD/GEN TG-16 SNES PCE SCD-ROM² JAG DOS Lynx Mobile
ASM 4/12 [35] 8/12 [36]
AllGame Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [37] Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [38] Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [39] Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [40]
AGH5/10 [41] 9/10 [42]
Atari ST User 40% [43]
Beep! Mega Drive 6.5/10 [44]
CVG 44/100 [45]
Consoles + 67% [46] 91% [47] 69% [48] 91% [49]
Edge 5/10 [50]
Electronic Games 86% [51]
B+ [52]
EGM 29/40 [53] 30/40 [54] 24/40 [55]
Famitsu 27/40 [56] 28/40 [57] 29/40 [58]
GameFan 329/400 [59]
GamePro 19/25 [60] 15/20 [61] 14/20 [62]
GameSpot 7.2/10 [22]
Génération 4 91% [63] 92% [64] 62% [65]
Hobby Consolas 91/100 [66]
Hyper 61% [67]
IGN 7.0/10 [68]
Joypad 85% [69] 71% [70] 91% [71] 64% [72]
Joystick 70% [73] 82% [74] 71% [75] 90% [76]
MAN!AC 61% [77]
Mean Machines 81% [78]
MDAG 81% [79]
Mega Fun 63% [80]
MegaTech 79% [81]
Nintendo Power 11.5/20 [82]
Play Time 74% [83] 60/100 [84]
Player One 60% [85] 77% [86] 89% [87]
Power Play 56% [88] 41% [89] 59% [90]
Sega Power Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [91]
68% [92]
Sega Pro 76/100 [93]
58/100 [94]
ST-Computer 60% [95]
ST Format 70% [96]
ST Review 67% [97]
Super Game 91/100 [98]
Super Game Power 3.3/5.0 [99]
TurboPlay Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [100]
Video Games 60% [101]

Arcade

The original arcade release of Raiden did not make as much money initially, with Komazawa attributing this to the game's underpowered hardware and lack of flashy visuals to draw players in. [4] A few months after its release, the game began to generate increased income, resulting in an increase in arcade establishments requesting orders of the hardware. Seibu Kaihatsu ended up selling around 17,000 units through steady sales for a year. [4]

In Japan, Game Machine listed the title on their 1 July 1990 issue as being the most-successful table arcade unit at the time, outperforming titles such as Trigon and Columns . [102] It went on to be Japan's sixth highest-grossing arcade game of 1990 [103] and fifth highest-grossing arcade game of 1991. [104]

It was also an arcade hit for Fabtek in North America, [105] where it became a chart-topper. [106] During November and December 1990, weekly coin drop earnings averaged $194.25 per arcade unit. [107]

Raiden was included as one of the titles in the 2010 book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die . [108]

Jaguar

Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Atari Jaguar version an average of 6 out of 10. The four reviewers agreed that it was virtually identical to the arcade version, but were divided about the quality of the game itself. Two of them described Raiden as "above average", and two described it as mediocre, saying that the ship moves too slow, enemy fire often blends in with the background, and the graphics are subpar given the Jaguar's capabilities. [55] GamePro similarly criticized that the gameplay is outdated, the ship moves too slow, and that the graphics do not live up to the Jaguar's potential. They concluded that "a snoozer like Raiden just seems out of place on a powerful system like the Jaguar". [62] The Jaguar version has sold more than 22,000 copies since its release as of 1 April 1995, though it is unknown how many were sold in total during its lifetime. [109]

Legacy

The success of Raiden resulted in several sequels and spin-offs across multiple platforms. Seibu Kaihatsu developed the Raiden games until they went bankrupt in 2005. Japanese developer MOSS, formed by Seibu Kaihatsu's development staff, purchased the rights to the series, with their first release being Raiden III in 2005. In 1994, the game's trademark was abandoned. [110]

Notes

  1. Japanese: 雷電, also known as Raiden Trad, Raiden Densetsu (雷電伝説) and Super Raiden on other platforms. The title in Japanese translates to "Thunder And Lightning"; Rai means thunder and den means lightning. The closest English approximation of the pronunciation is /ˈrdɛn/ RY-den.

Related Research Articles

<i>Twin Cobra</i> 1987 video game

Twin Cobra, known as Kyukyoku Tiger in Japan, is a vertically scrolling shooter developed by Toaplan and released for arcades in 1987 by Taito in Japan and Europe, then in North America by Romstar. It is a sequel to the 1985 arcade game Tiger-Heli. Controlling the titular attack helicopter, the players must fight endless waves of military vehicles while avoiding collision with their projectiles and other obstacles. It was the fourth shoot 'em up game from Toaplan, and their tenth video game overall. It was ported to multiple platforms, with each done by different third-party developers that made several changes or additions.

<i>Pinball Fantasies</i> 1992 video game

Pinball Fantasies is a 1992 pinball video game originally developed by Digital Illusions and published by 21st Century Entertainment in Europe for the Amiga home computers. It is the sequel to Pinball Dreams, which was released earlier in the same year on multiple platforms. In the game, players can choose between any of the four available playfields, both of which have their own thematic and main objectives in order to obtain the highest score possible.

<i>Soccer Kid</i> 1993 video game

Soccer Kid is a 1993 side-scrolling platform game developed and published by Krisalis Software in Europe for the Amiga. The player assumes the role of the titular main protagonist who travels across several countries around the world to repair the World Cup by retrieving pieces that were scattered by the alien pirate Scab, the main antagonist who failed to steal and add it to his trophy collection in a robbery attempt. Its gameplay mainly consists of platforming and exploration elements, with a main single-button or two-button configuration, depending on the controls setup.

<i>The Humans</i> (video game) 1992 video game

The Humans is a puzzle-platform video game developed by Imagitec Design in Dewsbury, England and originally published by Mirage Technologies for the Amiga in May 1992. It was later ported to other home computers and consoles. The goal of the game varies per level but usually revolves around bringing at least one of the player-controlled humans to the designated end area marked by a colored tile. Doing this requires players taking advantage of the tribe's ability to build a human ladder and use tools such as spears, torches, wheels, ropes and a witch doctor in later levels.

<i>Blue Lightning</i> (1989 video game) 1989 combat flight simulation game

Blue Lightning is a 1989 combat flight simulation video game developed by Epyx and published by Atari Corporation in North America and Europe for the Atari Lynx. It was also released in Japan on December 1 of the same year, where it was instead distributed by Mumin Corporation. It was one of the launch titles that were released along with the system in North America and was jointly written by Stephen Landrum, lead programmer Brian Bowhay, who also developed the Lynx hardware and Chip's Challenge creator Chuck Sommerville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seibu Kaihatsu</span> Japanese arcade game manufacturer

Seibu Kaihatsu Inc. was a Japanese manufacturer of arcade games. The company was founded in 1982 at Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan as Seibu Denshi Inc. (有限会社セイブ電子), but changed to its current name sometime in 1984. It is currently owned by Hitoshi Hamada.

<i>Alien Storm</i> 1990 video game

Alien Storm (エイリアンストーム) is a beat 'em up shooter released as an arcade video game by Sega in 1990. It was ported to the Genesis/Mega Drive and Master System. The Mega Drive version was re-released on Wii's Virtual Console in 2007 and was also included on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was also re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2022.

<i>Raiden II</i> 1993 video game

Raiden II is a 1993 vertical scrolling shooter arcade game that was developed by Seibu Kaihatsu. It was the second game in the Raiden series of vertical scrolling shooter arcade games that started with Raiden.

Imagitec Design was a video games development company founded in 1989, based in the UK. The main person involved was Barry Leitch, who worked as a composer for many of the company's soundtracks.

<i>The Raiden Project</i> 1995 video game compilation

Raiden Project, known outside Japan as The Raiden Project, is a scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Seibu Kaihatsu for the PlayStation. It is a compilation of the arcade games Raiden (1990) and Raiden II (1993). It was released in Japan on January 27, 1995, for North America by Sony Computer Entertainment as an original launch title on September 9, 1995, and in Europe by Ocean Software in November 12, 1995. This was the only console release of Raiden II and unlike previous ports, these versions are based directly on the arcade originals. The Project version of the first Raiden was available as a download from the Japanese PlayStation Network store, which could be played on either a PlayStation 3 or a PlayStation Portable.

<i>Defender 2000</i> 1996 video game

Defender 2000 is a 1996 scrolling shooter video game developed by Llamasoft and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar. Part of Atari's 2000 series of arcade game revivals, it is an update of Eugene Jarvis' arcade game Defender (1981). The premise takes place in a future where the Alpha Promixian empire attack mining settlements on distant resource planets. Gameplay is divided into three modes, with the player acting as part of the System Defense Team commanding the Threshold ship to defeat waves of invading aliens while protecting humans.

<i>Steel Talons</i> 1991 video game

Steel Talons is a 3D combat flight simulator arcade game released by Atari Games in 1991. The player takes on the role of a pilot for an "AT1196 Steel Talons combat helicopter". Steel Talons was ported to the Sega Genesis, Atari Lynx, Atari Falcon, and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. A Jaguar port was announced, but never released.

<i>Raiden</i> (series) Scrolling shooter video games

Raiden is a series of arcade games by Seibu Kaihatsu initially available in arcades in Japan and later distributed to other countries by Fabtek and other arcade game manufacturers.

<i>Toki</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Toki is a run and gun platform game released in arcades in Japan in 1989 by TAD Corporation. It was published in North America by Fabtek. Designed by Akira Sakuma, the game has tongue-in-cheek humor mixed with the action. The player controls an enchanted ape who must battle hordes of jungle monsters with energy balls from his mouth. The ultimate goal is to destroy the evil wizard who cast a spell on the title protagonist; thereby transforming him from an ape back into a human, and rescuing the kidnapped princess. The game was ported to several video game consoles and home computers.

<i>Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is a fighting video game developed and originally published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment in Europe for the Sega Genesis in June 1994. It is based on the 1993 film of the same name, which is a semi-fictionalized account of the life of Hong Kong-American actor and martial artist Bruce Lee. Following the events of the movie, players take control of Bruce Lee across several stages that takes places in different time periods of his life and fight against some of his adversaries.

<i>Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales</i> 1994 platform video game

Bubsy in: Fractured Furry Tales is a platform video game developed by Imagitec Design and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar in North America on December 1994, and Europe in January 1995. The third entry in the Bubsy series, the plot follows the titular character, who ventures through a realm of fairy tales to restore order and protect children all over the world from creatures and antagonists of corrupted fairy tales, which appeared after Mother Goose was captured by Hansel and Gretel.

Fabtek Inc. was a thriving video kit company founded in Bellevue, Washington, United States and started its operations there in 1987. Fabtek's name was derived from the initials of its founder Frank Ballouz (F.A.B.-tek), a former Atari and Nintendo of America executive who later also founded Irem America. Fabtek was known for licensing arcade games mostly from two manufacturers for distribution: Seibu Kaihatsu and TAD Corporation. Around 1990, Fabtek moved to Redmond, Washington and continued its business there until closing its business in 1999.

<i>Super Burnout</i> 1995 video game

Super Burnout is a motorcycle racing video game developed by French studio Shen Technologies SARL and co-published by Atari Corporation and Virtual Xperience exclusively for the Atari Jaguar in North America and Europe in July 1995. It was also published in Japan by Messe Sansao during the same period. It is the first title to be created by Shen Technologies.

<i>Blue Lightning</i> (1995 video game) 1995 combat flight simulator game

Blue Lightning is a 1995 combat flight simulator video game developed by Attention to Detail and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar CD. It is a conversion of Epyx's 1989 Atari Lynx title of the same name, and one of the pack-in games for the Jaguar CD. In the game, the player assume the role of a rookie fighter pilot from the Blue Lightning squadron, taking control of multiple military aircraft across various missions to stop general Drako, who betrayed the United Nations and gained power of military organizations through corruption to expand his organized crime empire all over the world.

References

  1. "Machine Catalog: Video Games". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 1. October 1990. pp. 78–80 (80).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Raiden". arcade-history.com. Archived from the original on 14 June 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sotenga (12 February 2011). "Raiden". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on 26 December 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "THE FLASH DESIRE 雷電III". inhgroup.com (in Japanese). 2007. Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019. (Translation by Shmuplations. Archived 2019-12-17 at the Wayback Machine ).
  5. A. Jung, Robert. "The Atari Bin - Jaguar Reviews - Raiden". electric-escape.net. Archived from the original on 6 June 2007. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  6. "雷電/雷電II". inhgroup.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 23 January 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  7. McFerran, Damien (17 December 2021). "Sega's Astro City Mini Is Getting A 'TATE' Version Packed With Shmup Goodness". Nintendo Life . Nlife Media. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  8. 1 2 CRV (31 October 2007). "A.I". gdri.smspower.org. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  9. "PC-ENGINE Soft > 1991" (in Japanese). GAME Data Room. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  10. Wallett, Adrian (28 June 2019). "Joe Sousa (Atari) – Interview". arcadeattack.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  11. Wallett, Adrian (4 October 2019). "Mark Hooley (Atari/Imagitec) – Interview". arcadeattack.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  12. Smith, Jason. "Atari Jaguar Timeline". jaguarsector.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  13. Castle, Justin (21 July 2018). "Historical Atari Jaguar UK Magazine Advert/Reviews Collection" (PDF). Issuu. p. 340. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  14. "JAGUAR Soft > 1994-1995". GAME Data Room (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  15. CRV (29 July 2008). "BlueSky Software". gdri.smspower.org. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  16. "News Bits". GamePro . No. 105. IDG. June 1997. p. 20. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  17. "Recent Sightings of an Endangered Species". GameFan . Vol. 5, no. 10. Shinno Media. October 1997. p. 36. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  18. "News – Ubisoft in exclusive Megadrive Game Import Deal Shocker!". MegaTech . No. 1. EMAP. December 1991. p. 6.
  19. "Gutter Talk – Ubi-Renovation-Soft". Sega Force . No. 1. Europress Impact. January 1992. p. 10.
  20. "Super Raiden". The PC Engine Software Bible. Archived from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  21. "Major Wave シリーズ アーケードヒッツ 雷電" (in Japanese). HAMSTER Corporation. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  22. 1 2 Navarro, Alex (18 November 2004). "Raiden Review (MOBI)". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  23. "The Classic Raiden Is Coming To Nintendo Switch On 1 July As Part Of Arcade Archives – NintendoHill". nintendohill.com. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  24. DeLa Fuente, Derek (October 1993). "Imagitec US Gold". Joystick (in French). No. 42. Anuman Interactive. pp. 76–77. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  25. "First Impressions - Raiden". CU Amiga . No. 44. EMAP. October 1993. p. 55.
  26. Schnelle, Mick (January 1995). "Amiga CD-Joker - Preview -- Raiden". Amiga Joker (in German). No. 53. Joker-Verlag. p. 70.
  27. ChEoPS (9 July 2004). "Raiden!!!!". English Amiga Board. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  28. "Falcon Games - Raiden". ST Magazine (in French). No. 79. Pressimage. January 1994. pp. 68–69. Archived from the original on 19 September 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  29. "Raiden (partially found unreleased Amiga port of arcade shooter; 1990s)". lostmediawiki.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  30. "Atari ST - Raiden [Falcon030]". atarimania.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  31. "Raiden Trad for Genesis". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  32. "Raiden Trad for Super Nintendo". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  33. "Raiden for Jaguar". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  34. "Raiden for Mobile". GameRankings . CBS Interactive. 2019. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  35. Mühl, Ulrich (April 1992). "Konsolen Konvertlerungen - Raiden Densetsu (Super Famicom)". Aktueller Software Markt . No. 62. Tronic Verlag. p. 128. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  36. Quermann, Bernd; Lethaus, Martin (May 1994). "Raiden - Those were the days..." Aktueller Software Markt (in German). No. 87. Tronic Verlag. p. 35. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  37. Sackenheim, Shawn (1998). "Raiden (TurboGrafx-16) - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  38. Scoleri III, Joseph (1998). "Raiden (Jaguar) - Overview". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  39. Alan Weiss, Brett (1998). "Raiden (DOS) - Overview". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  40. Knight, Kyle (1998). "Raiden (Lynx) - Review". AllGame . All Media Network. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  41. Iida, Keita (1995). "AGH Jaguar Review: RAIDEN". atarihq.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  42. Iida, Keita (1997). "AGH Lynx Review: RAIDEN". atarihq.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  43. Maddock, Jonathan (September 1994). "Action Feature - Raiden". Atari ST User . No. 104. Europress. p. 56. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  44. "Be Mega Dog Race - 雷電伝説". Beep! Mega Drive (in Japanese). No. 22. SoftBank Creative. July 1991. p. 30.
  45. Rand, Paul (May 1994). "CVG Review - Jaguar - Raiden". Computer and Video Games . No. 150. Future Publishing. p. 80.
  46. Hermelin, François (September 1991). "Megadrive Review – Raiden Trad". Consoles + (in French). No. 1. M.E.R.7. p. 73. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  47. Kun, Kaneda; Hermelin, François (January 1992). "PC Engine Review – Raiden". Consoles + (in French). No. 5. M.E.R.7. pp. 28–29.
  48. Hermelin, François; Kun, Kaneda (November 1991). "Super Famicom Review – Raiden Densetsu". Consoles + (in French). No. 3. M.E.R.7. pp. 50–51.
  49. Hermelin, François (April 1992). "PC Engine CD ROM Review – Super Raiden". Consoles + (in French). No. 8. M.E.R.7. p. 77.
  50. "Testscreen - Raiden". Edge . No. 6. Future plc. March 1994. p.  57.
  51. Kunkel, Bill (April 1994). "Raiden - Blast Away Space Pirates on the Jaguar". Electronic Games . No. 53. Decker Publications. p.  64.
  52. "Reviews - Cartridges - Raiden". Electronic Games . No. 55. Decker Publications. June 1994. p.  78.
  53. Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Williams, Ken (October 1991). "Review Crew - Genesis - Raiden Trad". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 27. Sendai Publishing. p.  20.
  54. Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Alessi, Martin; Williams, Ken (December 1991). "Review Crew - TurboGrafx - Raiden Trad". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 29. Sendai Publishing. p.  24.
  55. 1 2 Semrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Williams, Ken (March 1994). "Review Crew - Jaguar - Raiden". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 56. Sendai Publishing. p.  38.
  56. "雷電伝説 まとめ [メガドライブ]/ ファミ通.com". Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 135. ASCII. 12 July 1991. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  57. "雷電 まとめ [PCエンジン]/ ファミ通.com". Famitsu (in Japanese). ASCII. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  58. "スーパー雷電 まとめ [PCエンジン]/ ファミ通.com". Famitsu (in Japanese). ASCII. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  59. "Viewpoint - Jaguar - Raiden". GameFan . Vol. 2, no. 2. DieHard Gamers Club. January 1994. p.  19.
  60. Chooser, Choosey (November 1991). "ProReview: Genesis - Raiden Trad". GamePro . No. 28. IDG. p. 51.
  61. Buns, Speedy (June 1992). "ProReview: Super NES - Raiden Trad". GamePro . No. 35. IDG. p. 66.
  62. 1 2 Larry, Scary (March 1994). "ProReview: Jaguar - Raiden". GamePro . No. 56. IDG. p.  122.
  63. Querleux, Philippe (January 1992). "Console Test – Raiden – CoregrafX". Génération 4 (in French). No. 40. Computec Media France. p. 142.
  64. Querleux, Philippe (May 1992). "Console Test – Super Raiden – CoregrafX Super CD". Génération 4 (in French). No. 44. Computec Media France. p. 140.
  65. Canou, Olivier (March 1994). "Test Jaguar - Raiden - Jaguar dans l´ espace". Génération 4 (in French). No. 64. Computec Media France. p. 104. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  66. García, Marcos (November 1992). "Lo Más Nuevo - Raiden - Ídolos Del Aire". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 14. Axel Springer SE. pp. 146–147.
  67. Humphreys, Andrew (August 1994). "Jaguar - Reality Bites?: The Games - Raiden". Hyper . No. 9. Next Media Pty Ltd. p. 23. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  68. A. Jung, Robert (7 July 1999). "Raiden - An admirably ambitious effort to duplicate the arcade game that falls slightly short of the original". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  69. Morisse, François; Demoly, Jean-Marc (January 1992). "Test - NEC - Raiden". Joypad (in French). No. 4. Yellow Media. pp. 112–113.
  70. Morisse, François; Demoly, Jean-Marc (March 1992). "Test - Super Famicom - Raiden". Joypad (in French). No. 6. Yellow Media. pp. 124–125.
  71. Nini, Nourdine (June 1992). "Test - PC Engine - Raiden". Joypad (in French). No. 9. Yellow Media. p. 122.
  72. Nini, Nourdine (August 1994). "Import - Jaguar - Raiden, deux doigts coupe-faim!". Joypad (in French). No. 33. Yellow Media. p. 40.
  73. Demoly, Jean-Marc (September 1991). "Tests – Megadrive – Raiden Trad". Joystick (in French). No. 19. Anuman Interactive. p. 195.
  74. Morisse, François (January 1992). "Tests – PC Engine – Raiden". Joystick (in French). No. 23. Anuman Interactive. p. 121.
  75. Morisse, François (March 1992). "Tests – Super Famicom – Raiden". Joystick (in French). No. 25. Anuman Interactive. p. 123.
  76. Demoly, Jean-Marc (May 1992). "Tests – Super CD-ROM – Super Raiden". Joystick (in French). No. 27. Anuman Interactive. p. 200.
  77. Gaksch, Martin (May 1994). "Spiele-Tests - Jaguar - Raiden". MAN!AC (in German). No. 7. Cybermedia. p. 47. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  78. Rad; Julian (December 1991). "Megadrive Review - Raiden Trad". Mean Machines . No. 15. EMAP. pp. 132–133.
  79. "Mega File - Shoot'em Ups Round-Up: Raiden Trad". Mega Drive Advanced Gaming . No. 1. Maverick Magazines. September 1992. p. 81.
  80. Weidner, Martin (March 1994). "Test Jaguar - Raiden". Mega Fun (in German). No. 18. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. p. 121. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  81. "Game Index - Raiden Trad". MegaTech . No. 1. EMAP. December 1991. p. 79.
  82. George; Rob (May 1992). "Now Playing - Raiden Trad -- Super NES". Nintendo Power . No. 36. Nintendo of America. p. 103.
  83. Ray (July 1993). "Turbo Duo Review - Raiden". Play Time (in German). No. 25. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. p. 135.
  84. Schneider, Ulf (April 1994). "Jaguar Review – Raiden". Play Time (in German). No. 34. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. p. 172. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  85. Drevet, Cyril (December 1991). "Tests De Jeux - Mega D. - Raiden Trad". Player One (in French). No. 15. Média Système Édition. p. 106.
  86. Scamps, Olivier (January 1992). "Tests De Jeux - Core G. - Raiden Trad". Player One (in French). No. 16. Média Système Édition. p. 89.
  87. Scamps, Olivier (May 1992). "Tests De Jeux - NEC Super CD-ROM - Super Raiden". Player One (in French). No. 20. Média Système Édition. pp. 74–75. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  88. Locker, Anatol (November 1991). "Videospiele/Tests - Raiden (Mega Drive)". Power Play (in German). No. 44. Future Verlag. p. 153.
  89. Forster, Winfried (May 1992). "Videospiele/Tests - Raiden (Super NES)". Power Play (in German). No. 50. Future Verlag. p.  148.
  90. Heukemes, Frank (February 1995). "Test - Überlieger -- Raiden (MS-DOS)". Power Play (in German). No. 83. Future Verlag. p. 108.
  91. Jarratt, Steve (October 1991). "The Hard Line – Raiden (Import)". Sega Power . No. 23. p. 54.
  92. "Power Review - Raiden Trad". Sega Power . No. 24. November 1991. p. 23.
  93. "ProReview: Review Extras - Raiden Trad". Sega Pro . No. 2. Paragon Publishing. December 1991. p. 66.
  94. "The A-Z of Sega Games – Raiden Trad (Mega Drive)". Sega Pro . No. 5. Paragon Publishing. March 1992. p. 33.
  95. Froehlich, R. (July 1994). "Jaguar: Raiden". ST-Computer (in German). No. 100. falkemedia. p. 104. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  96. Nuttall, Andy (March 1994). "Jaguar - Review - Raiden". ST Format . No. 56. Future plc. pp. 50–52. Archived from the original on 16 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  97. "ST Action - Jagged Edge - The Story So Far - Raiden". ST Review . No. 33. EMAP. December 1994. p. 59. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  98. "Superjogos - Raiden Trad -- A seguranç da Terra depende de um caça bombardeiro supersônico chamado Raiden". Super Game (in Portuguese). No. 12. Nova Cultural. July 1992. p.  33.
  99. Mathias, Lord (June 1994). "Jaguar - Raiden". Super Game Power (in Portuguese). No. 3. Nova Cultural. p.  45.
  100. N., D. (December 1991). "Closer Look - Raiden". TurboPlay . No. 10. L.F.P., Inc. pp. 15–29. Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  101. Schaedle, Wolfgang (October 1994). "Rom Check - Jaguar - Raiden". Video Games (in German). No. 35. Future-Verlag. p. 89. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  102. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 383. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 July 1990. p. 32.
  103. "第4回ゲーメスト大賞 〜 インカム部門ベスト10" [4th Gamest Awards – Income Category: Best 10]. Gamest (in Japanese). Vol. 54 (February 1991). 27 December 1990. pp. 6–24 (24). alternate url
  104. "第5回ゲーメスト大賞 〜 インカム部門ベスト10" [5th Gamest Awards – Income Category: Best 10]. Gamest (in Japanese). Vol. 68 (February 1992). 28 December 1991. pp. 3–17 (15). alternate url
  105. "Machines & Markets". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 4. January 1991. pp. 44–55.
  106. "Home Video 1991: with over 27 million N.E.S. systems in American homes, Super Famicom coming, future looks bright". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 5. February 1991. pp. 41–8.
  107. "Editorial". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 4. January 1991. p. 6.
  108. Mott, Tony (2010). 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die . Universe Publishing. ISBN   978-0-7893-2090-2.
  109. "Atari Jaguar Lifetime Sales". betaphasegames.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  110. W. Weinrieb, Steven (24 March 1994). "RAIDEN - Trademark Details". justia.com. Retrieved 11 January 2020.